American swimmer Tom Luchsinger has revealed that he found it difficult to accept his own feelings before deciding to come out.
The 23-year-old confirmed that he struggled with the decision to come out, but claimed that the choice has allowed him to be happier in both his professional and personal life.
"Whenever I posted anything on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, I would read it over 10, 15, 20 times to make sure no one could infer anything about my sexuality," Luchsinger wrote in his column for Outsports.
"Whenever I was interviewed I would watch the online clips over and over again to make sure I seemed masculine. I seemed fully confident in front of the media, coaches, parents and teammates but completely inadequate, worthless and insecure behind closed doors.
"My friendships have gotten stronger because of my self acceptance. My smile is a lot more genuine and surfaces much more frequently. I laugh a lot more. My body has time to recover from a workout because I'm actually an easy-going person."
Luchsinger, who graduated from the University of North Carolina last year, finished fifth in the 200m butterfly final at the 2013 World Championships.
Callum Mulvihill
